Sea Blue Eyes and Windy Skies
by Avaleia
Summary: Seven moments, two lovelorn adolescents, one story. From battered umbrellas to awkward double dates to love at its purest, they had always been together. They had always had each other, and that was all that mattered. Seven oneshots for Kataang week.
1. Umbrella

_the two lovers stood _

_hand in hand under an old _

_faded **umbrella**_

* * *

What started as a harmless drizzle soon intensified, and soon, sheets of frigid water were pounding down on the roof. It never snowed during Earth Kingdom winters; only rained, but it was so cold that the apartment's inhabitants didn't know which kind of weather to prefer.

The door of the food cabinet in the kitchen shut with a muted bang, accompanied with an exasperated sigh.

"What? No more food?" Came Sokka's loud remark from the dining table. "That's great. Leave it to Fire Lord to stick us in an apartment in Ba Sing Se without stuff to eat."

"I thought there would be enough for all of us!" The seventeen-year-old countered, an annoyed scowl set on his face. "If you hadn't eaten everything before dinner, I'm sure that there would've been something to make a meal out of!"

"Lighten up, guys. We could always eat Sokka!"

"Not funny, Toph!"

As the banter escalated into an all-out argument, the two teenagers in the empty kitchen slumped against the walls, thoroughly annoyed and, on a slightly greater degree, somewhat thankful that they didn't have to cook again.

"We can't just leave them like this," the Airbender pointed out after a moment of silence. He stood up, then, and quietly peeked around the corner, where Mai and Suki were trying to restrain livid teenage boys as they shouted at each other from across the room. "You know how grumpy they get without food."

"Yeah, but there's nothing to eat, much less make a full meal out of. I can't believe Sokka and Toph ate it all," came the reply, followed by a series of yelps and threats to "beat you over the head, warrior-style" from the dining room. Aang, following the events with an odd feeling of interest and discomfort mixed together, nodded slowly and turned back to Katara, biting his lip. He walked over to her, and she acknowledged him with a quiet sigh.

"I don't think that they'll calm down, though. But we've looked everywhere, and there's no food left."

"I guess we have no choice, then. I'll go get some from the market. Can you stay and make sure nobody gets hurt?"

"I think Iroh'll be back soon, so the whole thing will probably blow over in a couple of minutes." He studied at the Waterbender, who was trying to get a better look at the argument. "I can go with you, if you want. It's raining pretty hard outside, and you might need help with the groceries."

"Thanks, but I think I'll manage." She turned back to him with a small smile, even though Aang could see a quiet reluctance in her eyes. "You should stay inside, just in case things get out of hand. I'll be back soon."

"Alright. See you then." He returned the smile, and Katara nodded and headed out of the kitchen, walked across the hectic dining room without being noticed by anybody but Mai and Suki, and the apartment door shut with a quiet bang seconds later.

The Airbender, a pang of guilt rising in his chest for not trying to accompany her, decided to make himself useful in the dining room, where the argument had quieted considerably. Aang took hesitant steps out of the kitchen, wary of the silence in the air.

"Hi, Aang," Suki greeted him, a strange smile on her face. The Airbender's gaze darted to the faces of the two teenage boys at the table, who were sitting stiffly in place, frozen with agonized expressions. "Did Katara go out to get food? She shouldn't have."

"Yeah. I was just telling Zuko that he could make a huge fire and roast Snoozles over here. 'Course, he'd probably taste terrible anyways," Toph contributed with a smirk, flicking a hand over to the half-irritated, half-pained warrior.

"Uh... what's going on anyways, Toph? It got quiet all of a sudden."

"Oh. You can look under the table if you want," came the smug reply. The young Avatar, interested but hesitant at the same time, let his curiousity get the better of him and snuck a peek under the table. Both Zuko and Sokka had their legs locked in place with green flooring.

"You do understand that you owe my uncle, don't you?" Zuko glanced at the blind Earthbender with a slight scowl set on his face, all the while trying not to focus on the pain that coursed through his legs. "That flooring cost two week's worth of income!"

"Eh, he won't mind. All for the sake of the world and whatnot. You guys were shouting so loudly that I thought you'd start another war."

"Yeah, so much for an era of love and peace, hm?" Suki contributed. Toph nodded her direction, a broad smile set on her face.

"Nice one. Guess you have learned some sarcasm!"

Aang, not saying anything, finally tore his gaze away from the destroyed flooring and stood up, glancing at the window. The rain was coming down even harder, and his thoughts immediately drifted off to Katara. She must have been tired, walking through all that water, and miserable, and wet, unless she had taken-

"An umbrella!" He exclaimed, right in the middle of Mai's explanation of Pai Sho tactics. "Katara forgot to take an umbrella!"

"Then go give one to her," Sokka grumbled, wincing as the flooring scraped his foot. "She can't have gone too far."

"Take that one," Mai added calmly, hazel eyes darting to the battered green one propped against the corner. "Iroh has the other."

"I can't believe he knew it was going to rain," Toph mused in admiration, prompting a discussion of Iroh and weather prediction.

"Um, alright. I'll go now," Aang mumbled, but his words were lost in the laughter that followed from one of Zuko's comments. He edged away from the table as discreetly as possible, not wanting to disturb his friends, and picked the old umbrella up. It was worn and the emerald color had faded, but it was well-built and had probably weathered many bad storms. It was the least he could do, but it would provide at least some protection. He felt a faint pang in his heart when he remembered that Katara was probably out in the storm, wet and cold, and swiftly, he walked briskly away from the dining room and out the door, the umbrella trailing the floor.

As the door closed for the second time that evening, Sokka interrupted the conversation with a comment: "Hey, Katara's a Waterbender. Why does she need an umbrella?"

"Hey, let the lovebirds have their fun," Toph replied, rolling her eyes. "At least we'll get food at the end of it."

--

Aang ran out the apartment building as quickly as possible, his feet sloshing in the muddy water and sending ice-cold water splashing onto his robes. It didn't matter; the rain was making everything wet, and the umbrella he was holding didn't help in the slightest. It was old and holes were scattered across the faded silk, sending sheets of frigid rain down on the Airbender. He didn't care.

The largest marketplace was situated in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, and it was the only one that would stay open in all sorts of weather. The shopkeepers did all they could to get income. The wind rushed by, bitingly cold, and the downpour soaked Aang to the bone. The umbrella fluttered in the winter wind, threatening to fly away any minute. It was all the thirteen-year-old could do to keep from turning back, but one thought of Katara, in a similar, if not worse predicament, was enough to keep his feet moving.

The puddles drenched his feet and numbed them. His toes stung in the bitter cold, and if he had been thinking clearly, he would've stopped and tended to them. Ugh, he was so stupid! How could he had left her out like that? Why couldn't he have reminded her to take an umbrella? Why-

He stopped, then, breathing hard, and leaned against a building. It was no use, in the end. The umbrella drooped pitifully, and the rain poured down relentlessly. If Katara had gotten to the Lower Ring by now, there was no way that he'd be able to catch up to her. The marketplace was huge; he wouldn't even be able to _find_ her. It was hopeless, and so stupid of him even to try. If she got sick, it was all his fault.

Toph was right. They should've eaten Sokka.

His grey eyes scanned the distance for a person, anybody that looked like a Waterbender, with piercing blue eyes and beautiful smiles and a voice that could break a heart (or set it aflame). It was near useless, he knew, but thinking of Katara gave him some comfort as he leaned against the building, gazing to the distance and the rain bathing him with frigid water.

_memories of a long ago time, years ago, a long long time ago. umbrellas and rain and love._

_she clutched the handle with slender fingers and he smiled as her hand brushed his, ever-so-lightly, and the early spring rain fell like powder snow and the ground turned wet and soggy under their feet and they walked together, under the cover of a scarlet umbrella, two naive children._

_they hadn't known that they loved each other yet, loved each other so much, but they walked and they felt like they were at least closer to each other than they had ever been, under the cover of the Fortuneteller's umbrella stained with the color of lovelorn hearts._

_and seconds later, the sun came out and they smiled at each other, innocent smiles._

And he hadn't realized how long he had been standing there, hadn't been aware of his dripping robes or the water that cloaked his skin or the limp umbrella that drooped like a mop to his side. He hadn't realized until footsteps, footsteps in the water, drove him to look up in a last attempt and he looked and he saw the silhouette of Katara trudging through the muddy water, groceries bundled in her arms, walking-

He laughed, half in relief, half in disbelief that he saw her at that moment.

His feet sloshed through the water, the umbrella flying with him. He outran the rain and the wind, rushing towards the girl across the street, and she turned and his Twinkletoes feet slipped and sloshed through the icy water and knocked the groceries out of her hands, knocked the umbrella out of his, knocked the two teenagers off their feet.

The Waterbender sat there, once-dry clothing starting to get drenched by the winter rain, startled. The Airbender had thrown himself onto her when he tripped, and was now lying across her lap, a soggy pile of robes, a look of relief and embarassment on his face at the same time.

"How could... why... you weren't wet?"

"Well, I wasn't until you knocked me into the water. What happened? Is everything alright?" The look of fear on Katara's face made the Airbender blush despite the frigid water pouring down and drenching both of them, and he stammered out, with a quiet embarrassment in his voice-

"You forgot the umbrella."

The Waterbender glanced once at the Airbender sprawled across her lap, glanced once at the battered green umbrella lying to the right of the two, glanced once at the spilled groceries getting soaked by the rainwater, and to the thirteen year old's surprise, Katara laughed.

It was like music in the pattering of the rain, with the pounding on the roofs and the pitter-patter of the raindrops striking the wet ground. The Waterbender laughed, and despite himself, Aang allowed himself a faint little smile, even though he wasn't sure if Katara was laughing at his absurdity or his foolishness. She could even be laughing at both. She shut her eyes for a moment, grinning, before turning to the Airbender and stating:

"Aang, Waterbenders don't _need_ umbrellas. Much less Master Waterbenders, you know."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. I can't believe I was that stupid." He gave an exasperated sigh and hit his forehead. "I'm sorry. You were all dry and everything... I was just so relieved to see you." He briskly picked himself up then, glancing at the scattered groceries. "And you've gone all this way to get groceries. I can't believe it."

He extended a hand out to Katara, who took it with with a smile and stood up. "Aang, it's not your fault, really. And just the fact that you've waited so long for me shows that you really care. I'm flattered." She followed his gaze to the spilled groceries that lay, drenched, in the rain. "I guess I'll have to go back and get some more, then. You should go on back to the apartment. I'll be fine. And take the umbrella with you."

"No, I'm going to the market." He turned to face her, resolve in his firm grey gaze. "I've already done all this to you. You need to go back home and get dry. If you get sick, I'll never forgive myself."

"Aang..." She sighed, then gently took his hand. "If you're going, then no rule says that I can't come with you."

"You don't need to, Katara. I've already caused you all of these problems, and I don't want to make you go all that way again."

"Aang, I'm sure that it'll be fine. You've got the umbrella, and I've got-"

"Your Waterbending, sure, but we're already too soaked to get any wetter. You should go home, and Sokka won't have to worry-"

"Sokka, worrying? Aang, I'm worried about _you_! You've been wet all this time. The least I can do is help!"

"And what if _you _get sick? What if-"

No words cut him off. Just silence. Silence and rain and heartbeats and warm lips against his that made his chest flutter and his eyes shut in bliss.

An unexpected, public-but-perfectly-polite kiss in the middle of the street, and the rain drenched the two.

It was short. She pulled away from him, a tinge of red on her cheeks.

"What was that for?"

"To get you to listen to me." Although there was a bit of impatience in her voice, amusement shone in Katara's eyes. "And if I get sick, that's fine. But as punishment for getting me wet, I'm dragging you along with me so we can get sick together. Understand?"

"When you put it that way, I guess I do need to learn a lesson," the Airbender mumbled, his heart still racing from the aftershock of the kiss. "I'm coming along, then."

The sky was darkening, and Aang picked the soggy umbrella up. The green had all but faded, but despite it all, it was still in one piece. He opened it, and held it high above the two, even though it didn't help matters at all.

"Aang, what are you doing? Like you said, we're too wet to get any wetter."

"I know. I just... you know. For old times sake."

He gripped the umbrella firmly, and smiled when Katara's fingers intertwined with his and held the handle tight.

"So, won't all of them back at Zuko's place get mad at us for taking so long? I mean, it's not your fault, but-"

"It's alright, Katara. They can wait."

They walked, then, as the world turned wet around them, and despite everything they felt warmer than they had in all the time they had been in Ba Sing Se.

--

"What took you so long? Sokka and Zuko were just about to attack each other again," Toph asked as the door swung open unceremoniously. All heads at the table glanced up as two very wet teenagers trampled in, groceries in their hands, and a broken, wet umbrella under the Airbender's arm.

"You could've at least dried off before you came in! Now all of you owe my Uncle!" Came Zuko's remark. He was soon quieted by Mai, who placed a hand on his shoulder and murmured that "at least the groceries were here".

"Look, we appreciate your help, but the food already came. See?" Sokka pointed to the center of the table, where a roast duck had magically manifested itself over the hour Aang and Katara had been gone.

"How did you-" Aang began, while Katara nearly dropped the groceries in surprise. Toph grinned broadly and pointed to the elderly man the two hadn't noticed yet, sitting at the table with a smile on his face.

"Iroh came and brought dinner with him a few minutes ago. We were just waiting for you guys to come back. We had to restrain Sokka at least ten times so he wouldn't eat all of it," the blind Earthbender explained. "But now you're here, so let's eat. You might wanna change first, though."

"Good idea," Katara murmured, still in shock. Aang nodded in muted agreement and set both of their baskets onto the floor before walking out of the dining room with the Waterbender, leaving a slippery, watery trail behind.

"Both of them got wet," Suki noted, chopsticks reaching for a slice of roast duck. "I thought you said Waterbenders didn't need umbrellas."

"Then again, knowing how long Aang and Katara were out together in the rain, I doubt that their main focus was on weather protection," Toph stated. All heads at the table swiveled towards her, and she shrugged. "What? I'm just saying, lovey-dovey couples like them aren't that into umbrellas. It's more romantic to make out in the rain, right?"

"You..." Sokka began, before shaking his head and deciding instead to dig into his portion of dinner. Zuko just lowered his gaze to his now-freed feet, and both Mai and Suki remained silent.

"What?" Toph asked into the silence. "I know things. You guys aren't exactly innocent of doing that, huh?"

"You don't know anything." Sokka mumbled with a mouthful of roast duck, and the rest of the table didn't answer, knowing full well that she did.

It was just that the thought of Aang and Katara out alone in the rain for an hour didn't seem like a riveting dinner topic.

* * *

_Author's Note: It's Kataang week! And since I've been writing so much tragedy and angst lately, I'm going to try my hand at lighthearted stories. After all, Kataang is so much more fun that way, and this way, I can feel like I'm doing the couple justice. _

_Next one up tomorrow._


	2. Heartbeat

_and they danced outside_

_drifting to the rhythm of _

_their lovelorn **heartbeats**_

* * *

The adolescent had left the ball

Grey eyes still reflecting red rustling crimson silk

Golden chandeliers, and red-wine lips

Of the swirling and flying nobles

And the tsungi horns and stifling noise

Blocking his head and hurting his heart.

Thoughts throbbing with summer heat

And the steps of his feet a quiet metronome

Ticking to the time of the distant echo

Of dancing nations, of dancing feet-

Laughter, at a distance

Mixed with the loud brash noise

And red. So much red, swirling and hurting

And so much to escape from.

Zuko's inauguration ball:

Mai's reserved smiles and Toph's brash voice

And the Fire Lord's pride, so overwhelming

And Sokka's boastful excitement and Katara's sea blue eyes brimming with

Joy and love and happiness and victory

Admist a gold and ruby world.

They were once heroes, now they were reduced to

Nothing. Nothing more than partygoers

And Aang didn't mind, he didn't care;

Just the buzz of the loud music

And the meaningless chatter that flooded the palace walls

And the red that looked like the blood of slain men

And everything _hurt,_ he needed to leave.

He needed to get out of there

Needed to find solace, silence, serenity

Alone.

The sip of sickly-sweet wine still fresh on his lips

Energy still coursing like lightning through his veins

He sat in the garden, in the middle of nothing. The breeze blew through the trees

And the quiet call of nightbirds, their fluttering wings billowing-

The adrenaline slowed and dimmed, yet his head

Still throbbed with summer energy. He groaned

Doubled over, caught himself

On the dew-dipped cold blades of verdant grass

And lay there, a shadow

As life danced in the palace

And cast the dimmest light over the garden, like half-dead

Fireflies, pulsing to the brass of faint tsungi horns.

Footsteps, like the distant beat of drums

Yet ever real and ever present

And a glance up, made his head throb and sting

Made the corners of his mouth turn up

In a half-smile, as he looked and saw her there.

Her words were like music. He only caught the tune, not the

Lyrics, and followed the ups and downs of Katara's voice

As she sang in the empty garden

Sang to a tired Airbender, whose eyes were

Half-lidded, head bent in tiredness

And the melody was stuck in his head.

How Katara said his name, it sounded like a chorus

How she murmured, it sounded like a verse

How her heart beat, and his heart beat

Faintly yet loudly, in the evening glow, like drums:

It sounded like a song.

The war was over. Katara sang of the peace

Her blue eyes were the orchestra that played as she told him to

Celebrate! There was cause to celebrate.

And war heroes couldn't be slumped over like this:

Defeated, destroyed, dead

In the middle of a ball, Zuko's ball.

And the orchestra swelled, and in Katara's eyes

Aang could see glimmers of hope, of pride

Of joy, and he stood up and

Faced the music, hearing in Katara's voice

The strain of a broken soul, mended by

The water that came alive under her fingers

The sweet song of a battle won

The quiet refrain that was _their_ song, their song

A mixture of hope and regret and love.

The light emanating from the building

And the heartbeat that was their rhythm

Gave him the strength to take her hand

Take her heart

And tell her that there was cause for celebration, yes

And they should celebrate together.

Their feet shuffled together on the dew-dipped grass

Although the music wasn't there, wasn't heard

It was known. The two lovers knew

That their song was playing, their hearts beating to the time

And binding them together in a dance.

The slow, gentle adagio of icebergs, of frigid winds

Of the quiet beginning of two destinies that would

Become one, the faint pulse of

Footsteps, like drums as they flew and soared together

Through a sky of hope and futures

And guilt and resentment

The sky darkening above, innocent, childish hugs

As the world went on around them, and their journey began.

The sound of strings, like waves and water

Gently swallowing them up and into

A lifetime of challenges and confusion.

The tears that streamed down her face

And there was nothing more her defeated whimpers in her war-torn song

As the boy was silenced, his heart stopped, their duet winding down to

Only one voice, her voice.

When Azula's lightning took him at Ba Sing Se, and destroyed him and the music

Her song wavered, and her voice wept

And the lovers danced now, they held each other

And mourned for the tremor in her voice, her grief.

The look in her eyes, that one Fire Nation night

"Now's not the time," she whispered, tide rolling in the distance

But she loved him so much

And his heart and hers beat together, in muted anguish

As the waves rolled on Ember Island, singing.

They danced to the water, earth, fire, and air

The misty mornings, the sleepless nights

The hugs and kisses and laughter and tears

And feelings held inside so long

They thought their hearts would burst.

They whirled under a world of stars

That lit the skies, that lit the world

And painted, in bright constellations

A picture of what they had loved and lost.

And their eyes sang

And their feet sang

And the light cast from the palace

Shone like starlight on the lovers

Engulfing them in dimmed serenity

In the glow of newfound peace.

And they were two children growing

And two adolescents learning

Holding each other, holding each other tight

And each willing the other to never let go.

The pain coursed through their veins

A faint pain, dead memories of long ago

Of lost people, of lost causes, of lost loves

And they held each other, and hurt together.

And they stood there, their song cascading up a silent crescendo,

Their memories flooding the starlit sky

And they whispered their fraught love song until only

The sound of their heartbeats was left.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright, I wasn't exactly on time with this one, and I'm so sorry. School's started up for me, and I can barely find time to squeeze any writing in. I'm going out of order (this was Day Three's prompt), but I'm fully intending to put seven installments up. Thanks for reading, and I would appreciate your thoughts.


	3. Mine

_He glared at Zuko,_

_Grey eyes steadfast, the boy thought:_

_"Katara is **mine**."_

* * *

When the Avatar, a young man of thirteen, quietly excused himself from the company of his friends and dragged a bemused Fire Lord with him, the last thing the teenager expected to hear was Aang asking him to accompany him on a _date_.

"A date." The words tasted like bitter medicine in his mouth. "You've got to be joking."

"No, I didn't mean it that way!" The Airbender bit his lip, a shade of crimson flooding his face. "I, um, just wanted to see if you and Mai could kinda show us how it's done. I mean, I've never gone out with Katara before, so..."

"So you want us to tag along. Isn't it supposed to be private? Don't you want some time alone?"

"Well, I don't know. I don't want it to be awkward or anything." Aang shrugged. "I mean, I thought it would be fun. The four of us on a double date, kinda. And, uh... I just don't know if I'm ready to be alone with Katara on that stuff just yet."

"Look, Aang, I understand how important this is to you, but I really can't spend too much time on these things." Zuko glanced at their companions, who were enjoying cups of tea as Toph regaled them with her adventures as the Blind Bandit. "Mai and I need to get back to the Fire Nation as quickly as possible. Why don't you ask Sokka and Suki to go along?"

"Sokka?" The thirteen-year-old looked towards the sixteen-year-old, who was resting his arm comfortably around Suki. Thoughts of the warrior's reaction after Aang and Katara had walked in from outside the tea shop hand in hand a few days ago flew into his mind like an embarrassing memory. "Suki, yeah, but Sokka...?"

"Never mind. I get it." The seventeen-year-old looked down in contemplation. "Maybe it's just best if you go alone. Spend some time with Katara."

"Well, sure. Alright, I'll think about it." He smiled at the Firebender, a muted pleading still shining in his eyes, and walked away without a word.

--

"Ugh." The ruler of the Fire Nation's head hit the pillow in the most unregal way possible as he flopped onto the bed. "This is so _stupid_."

"What's wrong?" His companion sighed and sat down beside him. "You seemed like you were enjoying yourself tonight."

"No, I meant... never mind. It's really too ridiculous for me to be considering."

"Mm." She took his hand, then, massaging his palm silently. "You know, if you want to extend your visit, all you need to do is say so."

"I know, I know. It's not that." Zuko shut his eyes, then, letting Mai squeeze his hand tenderly. "It's Aang."

"Aang." The sixteen-year-old paused for a moment. "I didn't think that what he told you would've been so important."

"It's not. It's ridiculous, but I can't get it out of my mind." He sighed and his eyes fluttered open, resting on his companion. "You want to know?"

"I would prefer to." She let his hand drop, then, turning her full attention to what he was saying. "If it's that irritating to you, you should let me know. We could hate the idea together."

"Well, it's a date. A double date."

Mai's eyebrows raised for a second, then she regained her composure and calmly asked, "What about a double date?"

"I guess Aang's nervous about going out alone with Katara. He wants us to come along to get rid of the awkward moments."

"Well, that's interesting."

"'Interesting'. I expected a more negative reaction from you."

"Well, we could potentially incur the wrath of the Avatar if we refused." She lay a soft hand on his arm. "Of course, it's your decision to make."

"I need your input, too. If we agree, it's the two of us that have to suffer together."

"Well, why not?" She studied his face calmly, trying to read his expression. "We'll get a free dinner. And it's not like we'll be bothered too much."

"Hm, yeah. Aang and Katara would probably be too focused on each other to even care." He groaned a little, then stared up at Mai with half-lidded eyes. "So that's a yes, then? And for the record, I was asking you just because I thought you'd say no immediately."

"No, you were secretly hoping that I would accept the idea."

She walked over to the other side of the bed and lay down, then. The day had been long, tiring, and boring. Yet, she bore everything for Zuko's sake, even Sokka's incessant boasting and the Earthbender's crude jokes. A double date couldn't be too bad. If anything, it would be a nice escape from everything.

All she needed to do was ignore Aang and Katara's sickening, sappy puppy-dog love. She sighed inaudibly, which Zuko mistook as a sign of tiredness.

"I'll tell Aang tomorrow, then. Good night," he murmured, a hint of amusement in his sleep-ridden voice.

In the dim light, Mai smiled. They would bear the whole thing together.

--

The evening was calm and breezy. Lanterns strewn across the streets of Ba Sing Se set a golden glow throughout the area, casting an ethereal light on the grey of cobblestones and the scattered civilians still conversing near closed shops. The four had walked around the Upper Ring already, and had been silent save for Aang's attempts at striking a conversation, Katara's nervous one-word replies, and Zuko's mutters of annoyance. Mai just walked, regretting the whole idea already. She loved silence, lived in it, but if it were an awkward one... the evening couldn't pass by any slower.

"So." Aang ventured, eyes scanning the near-empty streets. "It looks like the Upper Ring is all empty."

"The restaurants here close early," Zuko contributed half-heartedly. "Most of the nightlife's in the Lower Ring."

"Alright, then maybe we should go to the Lower Ring." Aang smiled faintly. "Uh, what do you think, Katara?"

"Okay," was the Waterbender's hesitant reply, which was enough to comfort the Airbender's nerves for a moment.

The four walked on, reverting back to the silence. As Aang and Katara walked on, side by side but awkwardly quiet, their chaperones hung back and walked slowly, the tapping of their feet on the cobblestones dimming to nothing more than little patters in the empty night.

"This... isn't working out," Zuko muttered under his breath. Mai rolled her eyes and nodded; it couldn't be any more obvious.

"So what should we do? It's not our problem," she murmured back, hazel eyes darting to the silent couple up ahead. They were walking at a brisk pace, and seemed to be enjoying the silence instead of making an effort to talk to each other. "They're unbearably quiet."

"Even _our_ first date wasn't this awkward," was the impulsive reply, and Mai found herself half-groaning, half-agreeing. Their little first "date" had been less than conventional, but it had been pleasant despite the fountain-pushing and near-death experiences. Here, though, even after the war had ended and everything was where it was supposed to be, nothing was working out.

"So I guess we have to help them," Mai replied then, with a slight mischieveous edge to her quiet voice. "_You_ should."

"What do you mean?" he asked, then followed his companion's gaze to Katara, who was walking, eyes to the floor, listening as Aang tried to make conversation again.

"Oh. So you mean..." his voice trailed off, and he could see an amused glint in Mai's usually impassive stare. She walked on, then, taking Zuko's arm, and he stammered a little, bemused. "So you won't have a problem with that? I mean, it's as much of our date as it is theirs, and-"

"As long as you only talk to her." She rolled her eyes for what seemed to be the fiftieth time that evening, and Zuko shrugged.

Alright. If it would possibly make the night bearable, then he would talk to Katara and follow through Mai's little plan. He had missed seeing this side of Mai; the least he could do was help make the evening better for her. If it meant getting Aang and Katara together, then it was fine with him.

"So, what do you mean, 'talk only'?" He murmured again, leaning against Mai slightly.

"Don't go off kissing in a corner and impel me to throw a knife at your head."

"I know. I'll just make enough conversation with Katara so that Aang starts getting jealous and actually does something with her?"

"Along the lines of that."

"Tell me if I go too far," he muttered, and she scowled good-naturedly.

"I'll see that you don't. Both Aang and I will, trust me."

--

Unlike the empty, pristine streets of the Upper Ring, the Lower Ring was bustling, crowded, and alive with smells and colors of all sorts. Colorful street performers lined the streets, and storelights shone. Some traveling musicians had set instruments out and were playing them in deserted corners, and more than a few drunkards stumbled across the dusty, ragged street. Mai watched this with a raised eyebrow, Zuko regarded it as nothing (after all, he used to live here) and Katara and Aang eyed the makeshift festivities quietly, the awkward silence still raging between them.

"So," Zuko asked above the din. "Should we find a place to eat at?"

"Sure," was Aang's upbeat but somewhat forced answer. Katara just nodded.

"I know a dumpling place the next street over," Mai murmured. "You been there before?"

"I think so. It was by Uncle's old tea place, right?" Zuko glanced around, as if trying to find something of interest. "Hey, I'm going to go-"

"Yeah." She replied simply, and he nodded, walking up quickly to catch up to Katara and mumbling something incoherently. Mai watched on with a little interest. Zuko usually made a fool of himself when it came to these things, so she needed to save him sometimes. But on the off chance that he did succeed in diverting Katara's attention from Aang, she wanted to see how things turned out.

"Hi, Zuko," Aang acknowledged him as he approached, smiling in gratitude. It seemed that the silence was making him nervous, too. Zuko nodded a hello, then turned to the Waterbender.

"Nice evening for an outing, huh?"

"Yes." Katara glanced up, regarding the Firebender with tired blue eyes. She was seemingly annoyed at being disrupted, but Zuko didn't catch on.

"Are you... having a good time?"

"...Yes," was the disinterested reply.

"What's wrong? You're talking even less than Mai is."

At this, Katara turned back to the road ahead, and Aang glanced at her hesitantly. Zuko glanced over at the Airbender, hoping that he was about to talk to Katara and try to gain her attention, but the two lapsed back into silence, and it was all the Firebender could do not to scowl.

They walked a few lengths past the bustling crowds, turned a corner, and was immediately surrounded by a throng of people that sprinted over, screamed, gushed over Aang and Katara, scowled at Zuko, and completely disregarded Mai (who didn't mind in the slightest).

"Hey, I'm sorry, but I need to-" Aang's words were cut off by girlish screams, laughter, and hands trying to touch his arrow (for good luck, it was rumored). Mai raised an eyebrow at a pained Zuko, who was standing in the middle of everything as Aang and Katara got mobbed by an overly-appreciative group of fans. Evidently, the Firebender was trying to control his annoyance at the people who were eyeing him and his infamous scar.

He glanced back at Mai every few seconds to make sure she hadn't been killed by rowdy anti-Fire Nationers, but she just stood there impatiently, waiting. If he didn't have that scar of his, he would've looked every bit like an Earth Kingdom civilian. Shaking her head, she weaved through the crowd expertly and grabbed the grateful Firebender out of the din, wincing as the crowd of people pushed her out and swarmed around the Avatar and his companion.

"Rowdy bunch, aren't they?" Zuko muttered, rubbing his head. "A few more seconds in there and I would've been dead."

"Love and peace aren't applicable to all parts of the world," Mai stated simply, watching Aang and Katara get mobbed and secretly grateful that she and Zuko were alone for the time being. "We should leave them and get to that dumpling place."

"Hungry?"

"Yeah." She eyed him, amusement in her glance. "I've learned that you're terrible at small talk."

"You just noticed."

"Just wanted to point it out again." She turned her attention to the crowd that had now formed an orderly line, pleading Aang to bless them and their families while Katara stood by impassively.

"Should we go rescue them? I don't want the Avatar to die of overappreciation on our watch."

Mai didn't reply, just cut through the line, glanced at Aang warningly, and the Avatar, with an apologetic smile and a promise to return later, took Katara's hand and led her away, the crowd groaning and following them like a herd of sheep.

"Impressive," Zuko mused, and Mai just shrugged, Katara and Aang trailing her. "And what took you so long, Aang? You should've run away. It's getting late."

"All these people-" Aang started, and realized that he was still gripping Katara's hand. Blushing, he dropped it like something scalding, evicting a raised eyebrow from his companion. "I couldn't say no to them."

"If you want to get some food, I suggest we all hurry." He shot a glance at Katara, who was looking at Aang with an odd expression. Well, he had just dropped her hand, so it was understandable... he sighed, frowning at this strange turn of events. "Anyways, we've got to get a move on. Tell those people to leave us alone."

"Sorry, you guys," Aang explained for the seventeenth time that night, turning to face the crowd of emerald-clad civilians that had gathered in the hot streets. "I really need to go. I'll come back soon, though!" He grinned and waved, and reluctantly, the crowd dispersed, a few steadfast fans still stalking the four as they walked along the streets and eventually arrived at the Golden Dumpling.

"Weird name," Aang mentioned to Katara, who nodded half-heartedly. Zuko noted this with a sigh.

Dinner was going to be extremely awkward.

--

"Oh, I'll get the Vegetarian Platter, please. And some tea for the four of us, if that's alright." Aang looked at Katara, who sat quietly beside him. "Katara, what would you like?"

"Just the tea is fine." She faced the beaming waitress (who squealed occasionally, "imagine _serving the Avatar and the Fire Lord_!" to her jealous coworkers) and sighed. "I'm not very hungry today."

Aang glanced nervously at Katara, who nodded and turned her attention to the centerpiece of the table. It was a little stone flower, carved rather sloppily, but she seemed to find fascination in it. He studied it as well, noting the little nicks around it.

"Nice flower, huh?" He contributed, only to be met with silence. In an effort to keep the conversation going, Mai nodded absentmindedly, and Zuko tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. He knew that both he and Mai were desperately hungry and bored, but he wasn't about to show it and ruin the night for Aang and Katara. It was a matter of honor, after all. Attending a date with the Avatar and his girlfriend was a pretty big deal.

"Both of us will take the House Special." Mai answered the waitress' question, though Zuko didn't even know that it had been asked. "That will be all."

"We'll get that to you right away!" The overenthusiastic waitress snatched their menus away hastily, a broad grin still etched onto her face, and skipped giddily away, almost _floating_ to the kitchen.

"You sure you don't want anything, Katara?" Zuko ventured from across the table, causing her to raise her head and look at him. "We're splitting the bill."

"I thought Aang would pay," Mai murmured, but it went unnoticed as Katara shook her head.

"No, I'm not hungry. Just a little thirsty, that's all." She smiled faintly, a tiredness in her voice.

"You sure you're okay?" Zuko asked again, cutting off what Aang was about to ask her. Katara nodded, propping herself onto the table with a hand on her chin.

"I'm fine. Really." She studied the white tablecloth absentmindedly, staring at the multicolored stains that littered the fabric.

Mai glanced at Aang, and could see a hint of frustration in his eyes. She nudged Zuko discreetly, and he cleared his throat. "Uh, are you positive about that?"

Mai restrained herself from hitting her forehead in desperation as Katara regarded the Firebender with a mix of annoyance and a fierce "are you insane?" in her drooping eyes. Aang turned her way, about to break in with another conversation topic, when Zuko continued.

"Because, uh, there's a nice fountain in the Lower Ring. It's said to be pretty romantic at night. I figured that I could show you there after dinner." He beamed, sure that it was the right thing to say, when Mai lowered her eyes and sent a kick flying at his foot from underneath the table. "Ow! I mean, you and Aang. Show you and Aang there."

"That sounds really nice, Zuko." Aang replied, a hint of iciness tinging his voice. Katara didn't respond.

The minutes passed like hours. Thirty excruciatingly boring minutes, constituted of trivial small talk, growling stomachs, and studying a wooden flower. By the time the people in the next table had finished eating and stood up to leave, Aang had had enough of the awkward silence, Zuko had resorted to tapping Fire Nation ditties on the tabletop as a way to pass the time, Katara was all but sleeping on the table, and Mai, as usual, was just bored.

"The food's coming so slowly." Zuko broke in then, directing his comment at Katara. "There's still time to order something."

"No, it's fine." Came the forced reply.

"Uh, there's appetizers. I heard that people from the Water Tribe like sea prunes, right? I think there's a dish-"

"Zuko, she doesn't want anything." Aang broke in, eyes narrowed. Mai propped a hand up under her chin, evidently interested in this new development, and Zuko, for once not being totally oblivious to things, knew his plan was working.

"We're going to walk around the Lower Ring again, maybe to the marketplace. I think you'd like some of the things there. We could get you something."

Aang kept his glare fixed on Zuko as he rambled on about fabrics and wooden carvings to a tired Katara, who seemed as if she were slowly gaining interest. Mai felt a tiny bit of jealousy arising, but when the Firebender shot her a nervous glance, she nodded and felt somewhat reassured. Turning to the Airbender who sat directly in front of her, she could tell that there was more than just a twinge of annoyance that he was feeling.

"And there's this great place I could take you to practice Waterbending. You and Aang, both," he added as an afterthought, remembering how Mai's foot had connected with his leg earlier on. "I think you'd like it."

"I don't think I would," Aang contributed for no evident reason other than actually wanting to say something. Katara shot him a glance and then turned to Zuko, who bit his lip awkwardly.

"Well, if Aang doesn't want to go-"

"Trust me, he does. Don't we, Aang?" Katara asked, in what seemed to be the most interested tone she had said anything in the duration of the evening. The thirteen-year-old just nodded silently, grey eyes smoldering with supressed annoyance at Zuko.

"You could show us both some tricks," Zuko continued, gesturing to Mai. "That would be interesting."

"Yeah," Aang muttered, and Katara smiled genuinely for the first time that night.

"Thanks, Zuko."

After that, it seemed that all conversation topics had been exhausted, and the table receded back into the awkward silence they had been trying to escape all along. Mai fought back the desire to groan in annoyance; she'd have much rather stayed back at the apartment and listen to Toph and Sokka bicker.

A minute passed, and Aang couldn't take it any longer. "I'm going outside," he mumbled despondently, and stood up, his chair scraping the green tile flooring as he pushed it in and walked away.

"Oh, no," Katara murmured, and stood up to follow him. Mai hid a smile; things were finally starting to get interesting, and she would finally get some time alone with Zuko. Her hopes were dashed as her boyfriend watched the Waterbender disappear out the restaurant door, and subsequently stood up to follow them.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a hushed tone. He glanced back to her, hazel eyes glinting with mischief.

"Come on. I think it's obvious that our food's never going to come."

"Zuko, I'm hungry, and-"

"I just want to make sure nothing goes out of hand." He pushed his chair in and stood above Mai, a smirk on his face. "Of course, we could always eat later, right? Alone?"

"Sure, whatever," she muttered, taking his hand, and secretly happy for the change of pace.

The night air was chilly, and Mai found herself thankful for the extra layer of clothing she had thought to wear under the thin one Zuko had bought at the beginning of their vacation. She was about to ask exactly what they were doing when Zuko brought a finger to his lips, stopped her in her tracks, and pointed to two silhouettes up ahead.

"They're going in the direction of the Firelight Fountain." He murmured. "Remember?"

She remembered. How Zuko had fallen into the water, splashing it everywhere. How she had leaned down, a satisfied smugness in her voice, and told Zuko that they were about even on the matter of pushing each other into fountains. Where she had felt his lips on hers for the first time, only a few paces away from there, the firelight glittering yards away.

How ironic, she mused, that Katara and Aang's first date would start getting interesting from that point, too.

--

Aang sensed her footsteps but ignored the fact that she was there, standing behind him as he faced the rippling waters of the fountain. Floating lanterns glimmered onto the quiet surface, shimmering in the twilight. Streetlights surrounded the area and lit the streets, illuminating the waters with an ethereal glow.

"Aang, what's wrong?" Her voice came through the silence, disrupting the heavenly serenity that enveloped the Firelight Fountain. His eyes clenched in frustration; he didn't answer her. The stifling silence that was so evident in the dumpling restaurant now sifted back into the cool night air.

"We should get back. The food's probably already here," she tried again, this time evoking a bitter response.

"That's the most you've talked this evening, and it's about food." He murmured, back turned. She looked to the paved floor, eyes downcast, standing underneath the glow of streetlamps in the quiet late-summer night. It would've been romantic if not for the fact that Aang hated her.

"I'm sorry, Aang. I didn't mean to, I just-"

"What? Why is it that Zuko was able to get more out of you than I was? Am I just a bad person to be around?"

"Aang, it's not that. I promise." She walked over to the Airbender, who was staring down into the waters as if dreaming. "It isn't about you. I swear, it isn't."

"What is it, then?" His voice was questioning, soft. Vulnerable. "I didn't want you to have a bad time, and you seemed like you were because of me."

"Of course not." Katara shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them, fixing her gaze on Aang. "What I mean is that I wanted time alone with you. I couldn't talk to you about anything when Zuko and Mai were around, and by the time we were at the restaurant, the silence got to me." She shook her head, sighing. "I'm sorry if it seemed the other way around."

"You could've just told me before," Aang murmured, eyes drifting to find hers. "I wanted us to have a good time, not a silent, awkward one. I thought that Mai and Zuko would help us talk. I guess it was the opposite, huh?"

Katara grinned, and evoked a small smile from Aang. The light from the fire was reflected in his grey eyes, dancing. It was a lovely night to be out, once you thought about it. The silence that was in the air this time was a content silence, the silence that she had been longing for.

"It's just you and me right now," he murmured as if lost in a memory. She laughed.

"Yes, Aang. That's how it's supposed to be, right?"

"Yeah." He turned to face her fully, then, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. "And all that time, I thought that Zuko was trying to flirt with you."

"If he were, then I should be punished for playing along," she remarked, amusement in her tone. "Aang, you know that you and I are together."

"Together, huh?" The sound of that made him beam. "Like Mai and Zuko?"

"Yeah, except we know how to have fun. And talk to each other," she added. (Unbeknownst to them, a Fire Lord and his lady were at a distance, not taking the insult lightly.)

"So you think we should head back now? Before they get mad?"

"Hm, I think they can wait." She looked up, where the stars were scattered across a moonlit sky and the streets were illuminated by the glow of streetlamps. "It's so nice here, and I think we both need the fresh air."

"You can say that again." He cast his gaze on the fountain, the lights bobbing on top of the little currents like boats. "I can see why Zuko wanted to take us here, but I think it's much better when we're alone."

"Yeah. For more reasons than one, right?" She smiled, and sat down on the broad rim of the fountain. The Airbender followed her lead, leaning against her and basking in the glow of the firelight.

"And next time, it'll just be the two of us, right? Sokka and Suki won't be asked to tag along?" The Waterbender murmured, leaning against Aang in turn.

"I already thought about that, and decided against it." He replied quietly. "This time is ours."

"Yeah. Mine and yours."

For the first time after the war, the two finally knew the world was at peace. That was only seconds, though, before Katara tumbled into the water, shrieking, and pulling an Airbender down with her in the process. They extinguished several lanterns, and emerged soaking wet.

It wasn't like they cared, though.

--

"They didn't need us. They didn't need us there all along! I can't believe you, Zuko," Mai muttered, but not putting any edge to her words. She had been watching Aang and Katara tumble into the fountain with amusement, and it still shone in her eyes.

"We've still got time, though, and I don't think they'd miss us if we disappeared..." his voice drifted off, and she huffed.

"You're not intending to return to the apartment, are you?"

"Not in the slightest," he exchanged, and evoked a wry half-smile from his companion.

"I feel like... Ty Lee," she answered, careful not to mention Azula as well. "She always used to hide in the bushes and spy on the two of us when we were kids."

"So that means I'm Azula?" Came the remark, which immediately dampened the mood. Mai shook her head and sighed, helping Zuko up from his sitting position against one of the buildings near the fountain.

"Be quiet. They'll hear us."

"I don't think they'll care enough to even bother."

The two, somewhat feeling like they had arranged a marriage, quietly slipped away and left Aang and Katara wet in the fountain.

They were together, right? That was all that really mattered.

* * *

_Author's Note: You can tell, right? That I can't tell a story without having it drag on forever? Haha, that's why every installment takes forever to write! Well, thanks for reading._

_And also, note the reference to Mai and Zuko's first date. It was illustrated in the second all-Avatar magazine, and it was just so adorably appropriate for the situation that I thought to stick it in there. Just so Katara and Aang's first date could be... sort of paralleled to theirs. Interesting stuff._

_The idea of a Mai/Zuko double date pretty much popped into my head after talking with some fellow Kataangists at DH. They suggested that they all order tons of food and not eat a single bite of it. I forgot that they suggested that until after I wrote the four of them ditching the dumpling place! It must have wormed its way in subconsiously._


End file.
